Material distributor for aircraft



Nov. 17, 1925 c. L. PELTON MATERIAL nIsTmuToR Fon AIRCRAFT Filed July 9, 1925 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES CLIFFORD L. PELTON. 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MATRIAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR AIRCRAFT.

Application led July 9, 1925. Serial No.y 42,406.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD L. PEI/TON, citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Material Distributors for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a distribution apparatus for use on aircraft and more particularly concerns an apparatus for distributing materials in the form of smoke or powder which is intended to be scattered over the ground or in the air.

The .primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character by which material may be distributed over a considerable area with great rapidity and positiveness. The invention concerns primarily al tube which is adapted to rotate at fairly high speed and distribute the material by the action of centrifugal force through a conduit extending radially within this tube.

Further objects and advantages of 'my invention will be more fully set forth in the followingV description and claims and in the drawings in which- Figure l is a side elevation. of an aircraft with the' rear part of the fuselage broken away showing the distributor applied theret0;

Figure-2 is a section taken through the distributing tube and Figure 3 a corresponding view showing modification of my invention in which two materials are adapted -to be co-mingled before or at the time of their distribution.

Referring more lparticularly to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 indicates a fuselage of an, aircraft which is provided with the usual sustaining surfaces 'and propelling means indicated at 2and 3.. Mounted in a central portion of the plane is a main receptacle 4 which is adapted to `conlain o r hold a quantity of the material which is to be distributed from the aircraft. Extending from a lower portion of this receptacle and leading rearwardly is a pas-- 0 sage 5 whichconveys the material from'the receptacle to va rotatable pipe 6 which is suitably mounted by means of bearings 7 and 8 1n a fixed casin 9. The casin 9 is adapted to be rigidly eld in a. suitab e position attire 'reargr at a 10W portion at thev rear ofthe fuselage, and may be either vertically mounted or, as in the case shown, may be horizontally mounted within lthe fuselage.

The ipe 6 is made rigid with a rotatable blade s iaped tube 10 by means of a suitable set screw 11. shown, is in the form of a two bladed impellcr or propeller which is adapted to be rotated by the air as the craft travels therethrough or which may be rotated through any mechanical means so as to revolve at a comparatively high rate of speed. A conduit 12 extends radially outwardly from the center of the tube or blade and is in communication at its inner end with the interior of the pipe 6 so that material may be thrown outwardly by the action of centrifugal force as the tube rotates, this material being taken or withdrawn from within the pipe 6 to which it is connected.

The pipe 6 in revolving is adapted to cause the passage of the material therethrough by the provision of means such as the internal vanes 12 which have a tendency to force the material to the rear so that it may be supplied to the rotating tube 10. The flow of material through the passage 5 is controlled by butterfly Valve 13 which is manually operated by means of a rod 14 which extends to the aviators cock-pit.

In case two or more materials are intended to be co-mingled or mixed together at the time or,just before their distribution to the atmosphere an additional passage designated- 15 in Figure 3 may be provided so as to communicate with the interior of the pipe 6 by means of an opening 16 provided therein. It is to be understood that the pipe 15 'may be provided with a valve which mayv be controlled simultaneously with the valve 13 provided in the passage 5.

I am aware that my invention is capable of numerous embodiments and applications and desire that the particular form of my invention which has been chosen for purposes of illustration should be considered merely as an example thereof.v

.I claim 1.- In an aircraft, in combination, a receptacle for holding a quantity of material This tube 10 in the case to be distributed from the aircraft, a tube rotatable about an axis on the aircraft, a conduit in said tube extending outwardly from said axis, a passage from said receptacle to said tube, and meansl for rotating said tube to cause the material to be scattered in the air.

2. In an aircraft, in combination, a receptacle for holding'a quantity of material to be distributed from the aircraft, a tube rotatable about an axis on the aircraft, a conduit in said tube extending outwardly from said axis, a passage from said vreceptacle to said tube, and means for rotating said tube to cause the material tobe scattered in the air, said' tube having the form of a propellei` blade. f

3. In an aircraft, in combination, a receptacle for holding a quantity of material to be distributed from the aircraft, a blade shaped tube rotatable about an axis on the.

' aircraft, a conduit in said tube extending outwardly from said axis, a passage from said receptacle to said tube, means for rotating said tube to cause the-material to ,be scattered in the air, and means for controlling the How of material to said tube. 4. In an aircraft, in combination, a receptacle for holding a quantity of material to be distributed from Vthe aircraft, a tube rotatable about Aan axis on the aircraft, a conduit in said tube extending outwardly from said axis, a passage from said receptacle to said tube, said passage including a pipe rotatable about said axis and rigidly connected to said tube, means within said pipe to convey the material along said pipe as the pipe rotates, and means for rotating said tube to cause the material to be scattered in the air through centrifugal force.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature. l

CLIFFORD L. PELTON. 

